The time and place are never specifically identified with a real location, but they are carefully described as part of Kiyama's daily experiences. The exotic life of a small community in Japan, cram schools (a place where Japanese kids go to study for entrance exams for college, high school, or even junior high school) for twelve year olds, and local scenery are made familiar to a wide range of readers.

A small neighborhood in an outlying area of Tokyo, Japan in the 1990s forms the backdrop for this story of three boys, their family, and friends. The narrative strays very little from the daily life of three twelveyear-old boys during the spring and summer before they must take exams to decide which junior high school will admit them.

This is a very important stage in a Japanese child's life, as it determines whether he or she will be...